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Firefighters Still Battling West Texas Wildfire That Has Affected Hundreds Of Acres Of Big Bend

Courtesy of National Park Service

Firefighters are still battling a wildfire at Big Bend National Park in West Texas.

As many as 600 acres of Big Bend National Park have been affected. As of Sunday, active burns were located at Emory Peak and lower Boot Canyon.

Several areas of the park have been closed to the public due to the fire, including The Chisos Basin Campground and the Chisos Mountains Lodge, in what park officials say is an abundance of caution.

The high winds that helped fan the flames have now substantially died down.

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In a press release, park officials called the fire quote "not unexpected, and not a tragedy."

The fire was originally reported last Thursday. Since then, several areas of the national park have been closed off. On Sunday, park officials noted that the Chisos Mountains area of the park — which includes popular features like the Window and Lost Mine Trails — will remain closed until further notice.

Officials say the fire "will no doubt grow beyond (Saturday's) 600 acre estimate." The park is providing frequent updates on its Twitter account.

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Jerry Clayton